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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. row — to paddle
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. object — a thing
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. object — to protest
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pit — a hole
  21. object — an aim
  22. row — a line
  23. suit — clothes
  24. march — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com